![]() ![]() Such assessments are valuable in determining recruiting goals. To a lesser extent than the other military services, the Coast Guard has a limited understanding of its workforce needs, having conducted assessments of only 15% of its units. “Specifically, 17 of 43 Coast Guard clinics are in medically underserved areas and 11 of 43 were in at least one type of health provider shortage area.” “In April 2023, GAO found that Coast Guard personnel stationed in remote areas may experience challenges accessing medical care,” Heather MacLeod, director of Homeland Security and Justice at GAO, noted in her testimony. Several quality-of-life factors also may be affecting the Coast Guard’s ability to retain servicemembers, according to GAO. In its assessment of various recruiting and retention reports from November 2019 to April 2023, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) stressed the need for the service to balance recruiting new members and retaining already trained servicemembers to accomplish its mission. Personnel and quality-of-life support services are key to maintaining a strong and viable all-volunteer force, and Coast Guard leaders recognize housing, health care, and child care services are among essential programs to help prevent personnel losses. Recruiting shortages for the Coast Guard started well before the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to worsen, which could hurt the service’s operational capability. It missed by more than 25% in FY 2022 and is now 10% below authorized enlisted end-strength a figure expected to reach 13% by the end of this fiscal year without immediate mitigation measures. Like most of the other military services, the Coast Guard struggles to meet recruiting accession goals. Its work provides essential economic prosperity in America by ensuring safe, secure, and efficient flow of cargo through the Marine Transportation System, which includes over 360 ports and more than 25,000 miles of river and coastal waterways that serve as a gateway for 90% of all overseas trade. Merchant Marine, the Coast Guard supports transportation operations across the nation’s waterways. The service’s 57,000 active duty, reserve, and civilian personnel, along with 21,000 auxiliary volunteers, provide vital homeland security and defense missions around the world. MOAA also ensures Coast Guard representation on its Currently Serving Advisory Council and board of directors. Like the other uniformed services, it is vital to maintaining and sustaining the all-volunteer force and strong national defense posture. MOAA continues to be a strong advocate for the Coast Guard. “The current Coast Guard workforce shortage threatens the service’s ability to conduct missions which are vital to national security and prosperity.” ![]() “The Coast Guard has been unable to meet its recruiting goals for the past four years and is unlikely to meet targeted goals again this year,” Coast Guard Deputy Commandant for Mission Support Vice Adm. Stark revelations of recruitment and retention challenges faced by the Coast Guard surfaced May 11 at a House Maritime Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee hearing – issues which leave the serve well below authorized end strength and put its overall mission at risk. ![]()
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